The Machinators
by Forlorn Story Teller
Summary: The back story of how Haizaki Shōgo kicked out from the team in second year. And Midorima wondered why people thought Kuroko was innocent. If Kuroko and Aomine's play is so compatible to annoying degree, Kuroko and Akashi is compatible in plotting to a terrifying degree. They have discredit Kuroko a bit too much.


**Disclaimer: Not mine for sure, if it is... Kuroko no Basket would focus on their Teikō days not Seirin DX  
**

**Pairing: None  
**

**Warning: Akashi (his presence) and Kuroko who is plotting together with him XD**

**A/N  
**

This is when Midorima start to notice Kuroko's potential as a leader or rather a chess master XDDD. Actually this is a flashback for eclipse but then I think it's better on its own... Since Haizaki appear MF forum is on debate about him. We were discussing about his expulsion and someone wondered why Kuroko involved at all with it. I was then point out Kuroko was in charge of Kise back then and Akashi already predicting or rather planning to replace Haizaki with Kise. I just feel Kuroko should have been asked by Akashi whether Kise is up for the job once he kicked Haizaki out... so here it is. My version~

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**The Machinator  
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**Teikō, GOM's second year**

Midorima pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose as he watched Akashi fiddling with Keima piece on his hand. They were using empty Audio classroom for strategy meeting, but it was as plain as the day to Midorima that Akashi was not in the mood for one. Then again all of them was not in the best mood lately, especially since someone went and get himself in a trouble _again _for the third time this month.

Akashi had almost reached the end of his patience, which saying something since their captain was a very patient person. It was a misconception that Akashi was violent by nature and had a very thin patience; in fact he was very cool headed and stoical person. Then again all of them just have that much patience when dealing with certain grey haired basketball player.

It was always the same case, he took liking on a girl that already in relationship and get into a fight with her boyfriend or someone get into his nerve by accident. Midorima was aware their team was never particularly touchy with each other, especially him with exception of Aomine and Kuroko who were as thick as thieves since their first year. But in regards to Haizaki Shōgo they were all shared the same opinion; they disliked him as a person and a basketball player.

Unfortunately in their prestigious basketball club, skill was everything so there was always an exception as long as you played well and give result. This was the same reason why Murasakibara allowed eating snack in gym or class, and Midorima allowed bringing his lucky item everywhere. But still, none of them disliked each other to a point wishing one to get kicked out of the team like they did Haizaki. Aomine had expressed his dislike of Haizaki, especially since the guy kept bothering Momoi. He also mentioned Haizaki looked down on Kuroko and sometimes in practice match (when Akashi was not around) dared to demand the phantom player to give all the balls to him. Kuroko didn't say anything but it was obvious he was not comfortable; then again his partner had said everything for him.

Akashi planned to have Kise Ryōta to replace Haizaki, but unfortunately at this point when it comes to a one on one Kise won't be able to win against Haizaki. Kise had the potential but he was still a beginner, a genius one but there was only so much one's genius could do without experience to back it up.

"Akashi-kun… Midorima-kun." Kuroko greeted them as he entered the class. "I am sorry for the tardiness, my cleaning duty took longer than I thought it would."

Akashi snorted, "It's fine Tetsuya… but even if you ditch the cleaning duty nobody would notice." He pointed out in amused tone.

Kuroko frowned at that, "I won't take advantage of my weak presence like that." He shook his head as he took a seat on a chair across Akashi's. "It seems Aomine-kun and the others won't come… "

Midorima scoffed, absentmindedly spinning his lucky item (a rubik's cube) on the tip of his forefinger. "When those three ever interested in strategy meeting? Beside in our match they will just follow the best strategy we come up with… we basically the brain of our team anyway."

"Momoi-san helps too…" Kuroko reminded him, "It seems our next match with Minamoto Middle will be pretty tough that she has to go for information gathering."

Midorima blinked as he stopped spinning the rubik's cube. "Isn't Minamoto our next opponent once we beat Tenrō Middle?" He asked.

Kuroko nodded, "She finished with Tenrō, she said this team will not give us any trouble." He titled his head to the side; "This school made it to Interhigh because they have a foreign student from America, pretty tall 198cms… and strong but he would be no match against Murasakibara-kun according to Momoi-san."

Akashi sighed, "Well… that's good but Tetsuya rather than strategy I would rather us to discuss something else."

Midorima gaped at him, "Akashi! I thought we are going to review video of our last match and Tenrō's?"

"I am not in the mood, we can just wing it later…" Akashi said in an almost lazy manner.

"Akashi!"

Kuroko sighed, Midorima was always put his all in preparation to a level of obsession. "Midorima-kun… from what I saw in Momoi-san's data I am sure we can deal with Tenrō just fine as long as Murasakibara-kun marked their ace." Actually physically in average the height of their team still tower over Tenrō's players, and Tenrō relied too much on their ace.

Midorima looked like he didn't want to give up the strategy meeting; then again it was not like Kuroko was in favor of ditching strategy either. "But…"

"If Akashi-kun wants to discuss something else." His mood aside, "Shouldn't that more important that strategy then?" Kuroko pointed out stoically.

"Ugh…"Why of all time Kuroko decide to chose Akashi's side.

Akashi chuckled softly, "This is why I like you Tetsuya!"

"Thank you?" Kuroko said in a dazed voice.

Midorima sighed, "Fine, so what is this about?"

"Haizaki Shōgo and Kise Ryōta…" Akashi said with a smirk, amused at the shocked look his teammate gave him. "What do you think?"

"…"

"… What do we think…" Kuroko mirrored, "You want us to compare them?"

Akashi shrugged, "Of course, just speculate the outcome if they play one on one."

Midorima sighed, "I thought it's pretty obvious, in spite of you are so sure he would make it to regular... Kise is still a beginner who can't match Haizaki at this point of time."

Kuroko nodded in agreement, "Kise-kun will give a good fight at the start but in the end he will be instantly killed." He said bluntly.

The green haired teen looked at him in shock, Akashi raised an eyebrow. "You just have to put it that way huh?" Midorima grumbled.

"I don't see why I have to mince my word." Kuroko replied honestly, "But this is the first time I heard Akashi-kun think Kise-kun would make it to regular."

The heterochromatic eyed teen smirked, "I do… so what do you think Tetsuya? I know you dislike the way Haizaki playing basketball." Of all of them Haizaki was the only one Akashi never called with his first name, a sign the captain didn't respect the violent guy at all. In retaliation, much to Akashi's ire and to Aomine's and Midorima's disgust that Haizaki dared to call them with first name without their consent.

Kuroko narrowed his eyes, "If I may to speak honestly…" Akashi nodded with a smirk painted on his lips. "Midorima-kun is right that Kise-kun is no match of Haizaki at this point of time, but he has more potential and the right attitude for the team." Which the latter was zero on Haizaki, "It's true we values skill but if we see our team as a whole, Haizaki is a thorn in our side… he doesn't mess well with us."

Midorima scoffed, "In spite of that we can't just kick him out of the team since result wise, we won our first national championship with him in team and we are on our way to Interhigh…" He pointed out snidely, it was not like he disagree with Kuroko but he had to point out that reason alone was not enough.

The phantom player didn't even bat eyelashes as he brought down the final verdict that sealed Haizaki's fate, "But since the start of preliminaries he only manage to score minimum requirement of 20 points quota, sometimes more but not so much… " Kuroko narrowed his eyes, "It's not obvious enough for now but all of you have started to leave him behind."

"Huh?" Midorima was shocked.

Akashi's smirk grew wider, "You notice it, Tetsuya…"

Kuroko nodded, "He hide it from you with acting lazy and score the minimum because he can't be botherd." The phantom player pointed out, "His cover slip in front of me because he underestimate me… he starts to intimidate me to pass to him more often when you are not around Akashi-kun." He sighed wearily at that, "Aomine-kun never let him get too far with his intimidation though. Haizaki obviously is desperate to score more…"

Akashi rested his face against his palm, "Oh, are you sure this decline of his not because you avoid passing to him as much as you could, Tetsuya? "Akashi accused playfully much to Midorima's shock.

The phantom player shook his head, not even baffled by the accusation. "You know how I decide my pass course, it depends on who is in the best position to score… if any of you manage to have better chance than him to score it's fair for me to pass to you instead of him." He pointed out tonelessly. "Our opponents already know he is violent so it's easy to make him foul." He paused, "He is good in hiding his rough play but he is not in the best state of mind lately because of he is on the pinch for fulfilling 20 points quote without making it obvious he is left behind…"

Midorima was speechless; he knew misdirection require superb observation skill but to think Kuroko was still skilled… He smirked as his glasses glinted under the light, "So what should we do then?"

Akashi smirked, it seemed even Midorima caught up with what they were up to. "Tetsuya, what do you think about welcoming Kise to our team? Will he be able to keep up?"

Kuroko even didn't pause when answering Akashi, "In few months if he keep practicing with Aomine-kun regularly like he does now." Kuroko informed them calmly. "But I don't see why we have to wait for few months. The sooner the better Kise-kun could adapt with our team…"

"…" Midorima suddenly felt so small between them; in spite he was taller than them. "You two…"

Akashi if anything looked the happiest Midorima had ever seen since the start of their second year, luckily the victim who would suffer for Akashi's joy was Haizaki. He should know one way or another Kuroko would have picked up something from Akashi other than technique in span of one month the red haired teen spent as Kuroko's personal instructor in their first year.

"So what should we do to inform Haizaki Shōgo-kun about this good news?" Akashi wondered out loud.

"We shouldn't forget to include statistic of the last few matches of his in comparison to yours." Kuroko reminded Akashi tonelessly.

"Of course Tetsuya…" Akashi said gleefully.

Midorima started to think if Aomine and Kuroko's play was so compatible in court to the point of annoyance, Kuroko and Akashi was so compatible in plotting to a terrifying degree.

By the next day Kise was announced as the new regular of first string, and no one saw even a hide of Haizaki Shōgo in Teikō since then. Aomine and Momoi kept pestering him because they knew Akashi wouldn't tell a thing to them, much to Midorima's ire. Especially because they overlook someone else who was as guilty as Akashi for Haizaki's expulsion, Kuroko was not as innocent as they thought. All he could tell them and the rest of the team was Akashi managed to force Haizaki to quit the team and they would leave it at that.

And with that no one even dare to breath out the name of the ex-fifth player of Teikō, and Generation of Miracles closed their history with Haizaki Shōgo. It as if there was never any fifth player of Teikō other than Kise Ryōta.

Haizaki Shōgo was forgotten from brilliant history of Teikō like ashes blew by the wind of change.

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Review Please!


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